“We have not agreed to an exclusive distribution deal for this game,” John Wurzer, Diamond’s vice president of purchasing, tells ICv2.com. “We have been having discussions regarding the possibility of a distribution agreement, but none is in place.”

Launched early last month, the Kickstarter campaign was intended to raise $81,100 to produce a licensed standalone sequel to Z-Man Games’ hit 2011 release Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead: The Board Game, based on the bestselling comic series (rather than the television adaptation, like Cryptozoic’s game). But on Saturday, after securing $31,830 in pledges, the creators announced they had struck “an amazing distribution deal with the perfect distribution partner,” and therefore didn’t “feel comfortable continuing to ask for funding money through Kickstarter.”

ICv2 reached out to game designer Keith Tralins, who replied, “I can’t really comment right now, other to say [sic] that discussions are ongoing.”

The creators of The Walking Dead: The Prison board game canceled their Kickstarter campaign over the weekend, announcing they’ve secured an exclusive distribution agreement with Diamond-owned Alliance Game Distributors. The officially licensed game is expected to be solicited this week.

“Given that we now have an amazing distribution deal with the perfect distribution partner, we don’t feel comfortable continuing to ask for funding money through Kickstarter,” the developers said in an update posted Saturday. “As such, in a short while, we’re going to cancel our campaign for the game, and focus all our energies on getting the game to the distribution center as soon as possible.”